The Best Story
by SeaSpectre160
Summary: WHUMPTOBER 2019 PROMPT #8: STAB WOUND. "And here I thought Jane had the best 'How I Met My Soulmate' story I would ever hear," the girl gasped breathlessly, an echo of a smile on her face despite the hole in her side. [Sequel to 'Whumptober 2018: Wintershock' Chapter 1]


**This is a sequel to the first entry in 'Whumptober 2018: Wintershock', so you might want to read that first, or you will be horribly confused.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own the Marvel Cinematic Universe or any of the characters therein.**

**WORD COUNT: 649**

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"And here I thought Jane had the best 'How I Met My Soulmate' story I would ever hear," the girl gasped breathlessly, an echo of a smile on her face despite the hole in her side.

Bucky definitely did _not_ have a smile on his face as he carried his bleeding Soulmate over the rooftops. It was quicker than taking the street route, which was littered with concerned citizens who would notice him with an injured in his arms and try to stop him to get her some help. He'd already diagnosed the injury as a flesh wound, and Barton had already been notified via comm., so there was already sufficient medical help back at Foster's mother's place. All those well-meaning civilians would only get in the way.

His Soulmate was taking this all surprisingly well. He already knew from her file that she had survived two alien incursions, so it wasn't like she was a stranger to danger. Part of him admired her courage, the other part was terrified at how close she'd come to death – twice – before he could even meet her. And another part worried about how many other brushes with death she would face just from being his Soulmate.

"Fuck, this hurts. Why did nobody tell me that stab wounds hurt so much?" She seemed to be going for a tone of annoyance, but Bucky could feel her shaking against him. She still had the adrenaline running through her system, from both the attack and the shock of being injured.

"They probably thought you wouldn't have to find out," Bucky answered without even thinking about it.

"Guess so. This part, I could do without."

Bucky could do without it, too. His Soul Pain was already starting to fade, but knowing that she didn't have the benefit of his healing abilities, he figured she was having an even worse time of it.

Oh, God. He nearly stopped dead in his tracks, jostling Lewis (Darcy, if the were Soulmates, he should probably get used to using her first name) in his arms. The Soul Pains. She would have felt every injury he received after she was born. Every bullet or stab wound… that time he was thrown off a third-story window and landed on a car roof… she would have felt every one.

"I'm sorry," he told her, as they were nearing the relative safety of Dr. Foster's place.

"For saving me?" she asked, confused.

"You felt every injury I got," he reminded her, "Didn't you?"

"Oh, that. Yeah, those weren't fun. It was only once every few years. I'd get these pains, and then my head would hurt really badly, and then I'd get cold for a while- what?"

This time, he really did stop dead in his tracks. Echoes of memories of being strapped down as the machine clamped onto his head and electricity coursed through it, of being shoved into that tiny metal container and feeling the bitter, piercing cold as the inside frosted over, cascaded through his mind.

"Hey. Are you okay?" Lew- Darcy's voice cut into his thoughts. "Dude. You alright?"

He shook his head to clear it. "I- I'm fine. Fine." He started jogging across the rooftop again, though he could still hear echoes of his own screams in his head.

When they reached the apartment building's roof, Bucky carried Darcy down the fire escape and, after shifting her a bit to free one hand, tapped on the window to get Dr. Foster and one green agent's attention.

(Bucky also made a mental note to get the rookie agent's name and have Barton arrange for his re-training, because his situational awareness was clearly lacking).

"Darcy!" Dr. Foster gasped, rushing over to open the window once she recognised her assistant, "What happened?"

"I met my Soulmate, Janey!" Darcy chirped happily, "Also, you got a First Aid kit? I kinda got stabbed, too."


End file.
